Jegatheesan A from Annamangalam, a small village in Tamil Nadu, has been paying only Rs 20 as his electricity bill.
Jegatheesan A from Annamangalam, a small village in Tamil Nadu, has been paying only Rs 20 as his electricity bill.
Are you wondering how? He does it by living in his mud brick home with no AC.
Are you wondering how? He does it by living in his mud brick home with no AC.
A civil engineer by profession, he was troubled by the pace at which most traditional mud homes in his house were being converted to cement ones.
A civil engineer by profession, he was troubled by the pace at which most traditional mud homes in his house were being converted to cement ones.
“That’s why I thought of building a mud house on my own to preserve it as a symbol of our tradition and to prove that they are as strong as a concrete building,” he says.
“That’s why I thought of building a mud house on my own to preserve it as a symbol of our tradition and to prove that they are as strong as a concrete building,” he says.
For this, he enrolled himself at Auroville Earth Institute in Puducherry to understand all the benefits and shortcomings of a mud house.
For this, he enrolled himself at Auroville Earth Institute in Puducherry to understand all the benefits and shortcomings of a mud house.
He learnt to make Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks (CSEB) or unfired bricks and Arch Vault Dome (AVD), which he used while building his house.
He learnt to make Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks (CSEB) or unfired bricks and Arch Vault Dome (AVD), which he used while building his house.
“The best thing about using unfired mud blocks and mortar is that the walls become breathable. They keep the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter,” he says.
“The best thing about using unfired mud blocks and mortar is that the walls become breathable. They keep the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter,” he says.
The house is designed in a way that natural light floods the rooms during the day further reducing electricity usage.
The house is designed in a way that natural light floods the rooms during the day further reducing electricity usage.
Additionally, he has also set up a tank of 20,000-litre capacity for rainwater harvesting and cultivated a terrace garden.
Additionally, he has also set up a tank of 20,000-litre capacity for rainwater harvesting and cultivated a terrace garden.
The two-storeyed house made without cutting a single tree has used recycled and refurbished metals in the construction.
The two-storeyed house made without cutting a single tree has used recycled and refurbished metals in the construction.
While working with labourers on unconventional methods of construction was hard, Jegatheesan lives contentedly in his sustainable home now.
While working with labourers on unconventional methods of construction was hard, Jegatheesan lives contentedly in his sustainable home now.
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